sorghum was discovered
Green plums have a sour and astringent taste, so most people don't like to eat them, and the demand is not high, so naturally no one grows them.
Liu Pinggu shook his head, "No, there are just a dozen or so plum trees in the ravine behind the mountain."
I don't know who planted those dozen or so plum trees in the back hill, but they've been there all these years.
In previous years, when the plum season arrived, the villagers would pick them and use a couple to flavor meat soup, while the rest would be dried and used to make plum juice.
To make plum wine, you can't do it without the right ingredients.
Fu Zhiqiao pointed to the mountain not far to the south. In addition to the more than 100 acres of fertile land in the manor, she also planned to reclaim this barren mountain and plant fruit trees on a large scale.
With Fu Zhiqiao's special instructions, the tenants rallied their men to go into the mountains to find plum trees.
If plum saplings are found, they are transplanted into the orchard. Therefore, the original dozen or so plum trees in the orchard are given special attention, and no effort is spared in pruning and fertilizing them.
The people of Liujia Village alone were not enough to support a barren mountain, so the manor once again recruited people from the surrounding villages.
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't personally handle the task of clearing the wasteland; she left it entirely to Wen Shan and Liu Ping Gu. She smiled and said, "I'll leave the matters on the mountain to you all!"
The reclamation of the barren mountains is in full swing, but the search for sorghum has made no progress for a long time.
Fu Zhiqiao was a little anxious. As early as when she first arrived at the manor, she had someone take the sorghum map out to ask around, but no one in the nearby villages knew about it.
Fu Zhiqiao spread the painting out on the table. Long stalks, red ears of grain, and broad leaves. She had drawn this painting from memory, and she thought she had captured all the characteristics of sorghum. But the tenants in the village still said they didn't recognize what it was.
Did sorghum not exist in this era?
Fu Zhiqiao was a little troubled.
Taibai wine has emerged out of nowhere and has now become a dark horse in the Qingzhou wine market, but Fu Zhiqiao knows in his heart that it will not be an easy task to promote Taibai wine to the whole country.
The limited variety of alcoholic beverages currently available in liquor stores is a fatal flaw.
Taibai wine has made a name for itself in Qingzhou. But don't be fooled by its current popularity; a wine shop can't rely on just this one wine. Even the newest things eventually become outdated.
Only by continuously launching new products can we retain customers' hearts.
According to the plan, what Fu Zhiqiao needs to do is to continue to expand production and increase the variety of wines.
Now that Taibai Wine has gained a foothold in Qingzhou City, she must firmly establish herself in this stronghold and take this opportunity to expand to the surrounding areas, further enhancing the reputation of Taibai Wine Shop.
Fu Zhiqiao stared at the painting on the table, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.
Plum wine is part of her plan, and its launch and sale are already on her agenda. However, there has been no progress on sorghum wine, especially since she cannot find sorghum as a raw material for brewing, which is making her quite anxious.
Without sorghum, the development of new liquor will have to be put on hold.
Fu Zhiqiao sighed, put away the sorghum picture she had made, and prepared to take a walk in the village to get some fresh air.
During the busy farming season, all the able-bodied young people in the village go to work in the fields, leaving only some elderly people and children in the village.
Fu Zhiqiao walked slowly through the village with Yinxing, the laughter of children echoing in her ears from time to time, which dispelled some of the gloom in her heart.
As Fu Zhiqiao passed by a house, she saw an elderly man with gray hair making something at the door. Fu Zhiqiao felt that the thing in his hands looked somewhat familiar.
Upon closer inspection, it was... sorghum?
etc!
These long stems, these red tassels, these broad leaves...
That's right, it's sorghum!
You search high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly.
There is sorghum in the village, so why do people say they don't recognize it? Is it because her painting is too abstract?
Fu Zhiqiao suppressed his excitement and stepped forward to ask, "Old man, is that sorghum you're holding?"
The old man didn't even look up, completely ignoring her.
"Grandpa, my young lady is asking you a question!" Ginkgo raised her voice, suspecting that the old man's hearing wasn't very good.
Seeing that he still didn't answer, Yinxing wanted to walk up to him and greet him, but Fu Zhiqiao quickly stopped her. It's normal for a craftsman to have a bit of pride. The two of them stood quietly to the side watching the old man make a broom.
The old man was completely focused on his work, and soon the object in his hands had taken shape.
Seeing that it was almost finished, Fu Zhiqiao took the opportunity to ask again, "Grandpa, may I ask what this is?"
The old man glanced at her sideways. "Broom."
His tone was contemptuous, conveying a sense of disdain that he thought, "How can you not recognize this person?"
Fu Zhiqiao: ...
Of course I could tell it was a broom, I only asked that question so I could start a conversation with you!
The old man moved with great efficiency, setting aside the broom he had made, and then took out a bundle of sorghum stalks to begin making a new one.
The sorghum ears have been deseeded, leaving only the fluffy heads. The sorghum stalks have been dried, trimmed, and cleaned to prevent cuts. All the sorghum stalks have been cut to the same length, bundled into small bundles, and laid flat on the ground.
Take a piece of hemp rope and wrap it around a wooden stick. Step on both ends of the stick with your feet and wrap the end of the hemp rope around a sorghum stalk, tightening it round and round. Add a bundle of sorghum stalks every few rounds until the broom is formed. Wrap the broom handle to the thickness of your arm. Finally, use a machete to cut the top of the broom handle neatly.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a sorghum broom was ready.
"Hehe, old man, you're so skillful. You can make such a beautiful broom..." Fu Zhi Qiao continued to flatter him. She had to find out where the sorghum in the old man's hands came from.
After repeated questioning, she finally learned from the old man that he had grown his own sorghum.
It turns out that sorghum can be grown locally!
Having obtained the important information, Fu Zhiqiao readily paid for the broom.
On the way back, Ginkgo finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Girl, why are we buying this?"
Fu Zhiqiao smiled mysteriously: "It's very useful!"
She took a broom and went to find Liu Pinggu.
"Master, this is millet. The seeds are edible when ripe, but they taste very astringent. We only eat it during years of famine. We usually use it to feed chickens. The stalks can be used to make brooms. A broom made of millet stalks can sell for three or four coins."
It turns out that sorghum was called "taoshu" in this era, no wonder she couldn't find any words related to sorghum in the books.
As he spoke, Liu Pinggu took out his old sorghum broom.
Feed the chickens? Make a broom? Fu Zhi Qiao's lips twitched.
What a waste!
Excellent ingredients for brewing are being used here merely to make brooms?
"Does the village grow sorghum, no, millet?"
“We’ve planted them every year, but not many…”
Peach millet is very easy to grow as it is resistant to both floods and droughts. In years of famine, especially after a significant reduction in rice and wheat yields, peach millet becomes a lifesaver for the people.
Millet is a coarse grain, and its taste is quite different from that of refined grains. Although it doesn't taste good, people can't be picky when there's a famine, and filling their stomachs is the first priority.
After learning about the background of sorghum cultivation from Liu Pinggu, Fu Zhiqiao immediately declared that she would use all the vacant land in the manor to grow sorghum.
"this……"
Although the yield of peach millet is higher than that of other crops, it tastes bad and doesn't fetch a good price, so other tenant farmers may not be willing to give up their land to grow peach millet.
Liu Pinggu expressed his concerns, saying that he wouldn't be willing to give up perfectly good grains to grow peaches and millet.
This is indeed a problem.
Fu Zhiqiao pondered for a moment. The tenant farmers all depended on the few acres of land they rented for a living, and she couldn't force them to switch to other crops.
"Don't worry, we don't need the tenants' land to grow peaches and millet. I remember that dry land in the northwest of the manor hasn't been rented out yet. Plant peaches and millet on it all!"
Fu Zhiqiao vaguely remembered that sorghum did not need to be planted in paddy fields; it could be grown on flat dry land as well.
There is still a lot of undeveloped land in the village, and now is the perfect time to make use of it.
Liu Pinggu was still somewhat worried: "Master, that land isn't fertile enough. Can we grow peaches and millet there?"
Fu Zhi Qiao: "?"
After receiving a questioning look from Fu Zhiqiao, Liu Pinggu honestly replied, "There are a few patches of wasteland overgrown with grass in the northwest, but the soil there is not good and is not suitable for growing grain."
Having lived in the village for so many years, Liu Pinggu knows the land conditions here like the back of his hand.
The land that Fu Zhiqiao mentioned was located in the northwest of the manor, backed by mountains. The soil was loose and coarse, making it impossible for the roots of the crops to adhere to it. A single rain would cause the crops to die, and over time the land was abandoned.
She may not have eaten pork, but she's seen pigs run. She may lack planting experience, but she has a wealth of theoretical knowledge! In her previous life, Fu Zhiqiao visited farms and wineries all over the world to bring wines from various countries to her hotel. This is why she dared to buy land and build a winery as soon as she arrived in Qingzhou City.
The Chinese people's skill in brewing sorghum liquor is unparalleled in the world. When Fu Zhiqiao visited the distillery, she had toured the plantation, so she still has some impression of the sorghum planting methods.
The soil isn't touching the roots? No problem!
After plowing, the ground is harrowed into furrows to increase the gap between the ridges and furrows. This not only benefits the growth of crop roots but also helps with drainage and flood prevention.
The soil isn't fertile enough? No problem!
Chicken manure, duck manure, or artificial manure can be used, as they are high in nutrients and can effectively enrich the soil.
In short, nothing could stop her determination to grow sorghum.
Liu Pinggu was somewhat surprised. Fu Zhiqiao had always given him the impression of being someone who rarely showed her emotions, and it was extremely rare for her to be so open about her feelings today. However, he had already reminded his employer of what needed to be reminded, and since his employer insisted on planting peaches and millet, he had no choice but to obey.
April and May are the season for planting sorghum, and given the urgency of the situation, Fu Zhiqiao quickly issued the order.
Regarding sorghum cultivation, she still prefers large-scale planting and management. If it is handed over to tenant farmers, the result is that they plant a piece of land here and a piece of land there, which is not only difficult to manage, but also the quality of the sorghum cannot be guaranteed.
There aren't enough people in Liujia Village right now, so she needs to find some people from outside to manage the sorghum fields. She also wants to give the tenants in the village a sense of urgency. With outsiders competing with them, she believes the tenants will work even harder to cultivate the land.
With money, there's no shortage of people to do the work.
In the end, Fu Zhiqiao recruited more than a dozen farmers from neighboring villages as long-term laborers by providing them with room and board and paying them 80 wen a month, specifically to grow these sorghum plants.
Fu Zhiqiao explained the detailed planting plan to Wenjiang one by one: first, clear the land and prepare the soil, and then plant the crops. The two discussed the details again, and Wenjiang nodded to indicate that he understood. He was entrusted with arranging all the specific personnel allocation.
The newly recruited workers were divided into two groups. One group worked hard to renovate the land, apply artificial fertilizer, and let it ferment for a period of time. Once the land became fertile, the seeds could be sown.
Another group of people went to various villages to buy peach and millet seeds, selecting only plump seeds and discarding all shriveled and damaged ones.
Two days later, they returned with two large cartloads of seeds. The bottom of the bamboo baskets was lined with burlap, and the baskets were filled with slightly dark red sorghum seeds.
Looking at the baskets of seeds, the seeds she had been searching for for so long were finally in front of her. Fu Zhiqiao was overwhelmed with excitement, as if she could already see the grand occasion after the sorghum liquor hit the market.
Fu Zhiqiao had already told the workers who managed the sorghum planting that there would be a reward as long as the yield was good. The workers were very happy to hear that there would be a reward. After secretly finding out that the owner had given all the workers a bonus of one guan, they worked even harder.
A few days later, Fu Zhiqiao went to the field to check the soil conditions. The manure she had poured in had been almost completely absorbed by the soil, and she was satisfied with the results.
Everything is ready; we just need to wait for the weather and temperature to be suitable before sowing the seeds.
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